Turkish plane crashes near Amsterdam airport (Lead)

Amsterdam, Feb 25 (DPA) A Turkish passenger plane crashed Wednesday near Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport just before landing, Dutch television reported. The TV report said the plane arriving at Amsterdam from Istanbul was carrying 135 passengers on board.

The plane broke in two or three parts when it crashed in a field near the airport, with Dutch media reporting “at least 35 deaths”. Ambulances and firefighters were on their way.

The A9 highway and a side-road were both closed off for all traffic.

The last major airplane crash in the Netherlands was Oct 4, 1992, when an El Al cargo Boeing 747F 4X-AXG hit several high rises in the Bijlmer area in southern Amsterdam, resulting in 46 deaths.